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This message was self-deleted by its author (oberliner) on Wed Dec 26, 2012, 12:08 PM. When the original post in a discussion thread is self-deleted, the entire discussion thread is automatically locked so new replies cannot be posted.

1. I find this both an objectionable article and an objectionable source, I'm afraid

The article is right on one thing: Many Arab states do hate, and when they can, kill Palestinians. Oppression and what might be described as apartheid against Palestinians has often been worse in certain Arab countries than in Israel. The Arab League has indeed done nothing to help the Palestinians in Syria. And on the whole, the Arab states have got away, at least until very recently, with far less criticism than has been directed against Israel, or against the Palestinians themselves.

However, the tone of the article is implying that Arab state atrocities against Palestinians are mostly the Palestinians' own fault; and are only to be expected due to Palestinians meddling in their 'internal affairs' - as if almost everyone wasn't, one way or another, meddling in these states' internal affairs; and as if the internal affairs were not in many cases desperately awful.

Should Syrian government atrocities against non-Palestinian Syrian rebels be justified? Although I am sympathetic to the anti-Assad cause, I am sure that not EVERY Syrian opponent of the regime is a completely 'innocent victim'. Nonetheless the atrocities are appalling.

And this is basically justifying collective punishment of the Palestinians as a group - and in the case of Syria, by one of the nastiest regimes around.

As regards the Gatestone Institute, as I posted a couple of months ago:

'This is an organization that has Soeren Kern as one of its chief editors, and whose recent events have included speakers such as Mark Steyn (more than once), Senator Tom Coburn, Dick Morris, Antonin Scalia, Douglas Murray, John Bolton (more than once), Geert Wilders, Alan Craig (a London Councillor for a small Christian-Right party), Henry Kissinger, the late Andrew Breitbart; Dan Pipes, and other evil individuals. Some of the events and publications are specifically Islamophobic; some are simply far right and anti-Democrat. '

There may be individual articles that are OK, but I would not trust it as a site at all.

2. I'm sorry but this article is *offensive*.

My tolerance for free expression here is *almost* limitless, but look at this:

>>>This is not the first time that Palestinians living in Arab countries find themselves caught in conflicts between rival parties. Those who meddle in the internal affairs of Arab countries should not be surprised when bombs start falling on their homes.

The Palestinians have a long history of involving themselves in the internal affairs of Arab countries and later complaining when they fall victim to violence. They complain they are being killed but not saying why they keep getting into trouble.

Palestinians are not always innocent victims. They bring tragedy on themselves and then want to blame everyone else but themselves.>>>>

Substitute the word "Jews" for "Palestinians" in each of the four short but pivotal paragraphs above and it *should* conjure up Nazi and quasi-Nazi propaganda, circa pre WWII.

Repellent bullshit that should be RECOGNIZED as such. (But not banned. How elsewill we know it's "out there"?)